Fatto A Mano — Restaurant in Florida

Three and a half stars is probably a bit more fair, but that’s not possible with Google, so three it is. It’s serviceable Italian food. It’s good, it’s not great. As one of the people in party put it, “it’s nothing exceptional, but it was a pleasant experience.” I don’t know how else to say it’s just rather average Italian food than that. There are vastly worse options around, and there are remarkably better. The bread sticks? Not good. These must be made elsewhere and just heated here. Just not good at all. But that’s not really why most people come here, so that’s nothing fatal. The pizza? Think “thin and crispy,” only not so crispy on this occasion. Not much better than your average frozen pizza and/or amusement park slice. Fairly certain the crust/dough might be pre-fab/frozen or made out of house. If not, it’s mediocre at best. The ravioli was undercooked, with most pieces still way too stiff. Not even Al dente. It was disappointing. The vodka sauce tasting of absolutely nothing. You knew you were eating a sauce of some kind, it it just tasted like nothing at all. The red/marinara sauce was much better. Angel hair pasta was cooked perfectly. The lasagna looked and tasted like Stouffers. Plain and simple. Not bad, but not what you’re really looking for when you’re dining out. Unless you are, which, in that case, the lasagna here is right up your alley. The service here was wonderful. Our server was attentive (but not overly so) and just as nice as could be. She made it such a nice experience, and I commend them on that. She is/was excellent. The location is depressing as it gets. A little spot in a strip mall that is just about completely dead. I mean, it’s a nearly abandoned ghost town. The flip side of that coin though is that there’s plenty of parking available to you, so consider that a silver lining to an otherwise dead “shopping” center. Lastly, prices are very affordable. In this sense, you get what you pay for, if not a little more. Again, the best way I can put it, you’ll have a good experience here service/price wise, but it’s just average food. When “I’ve had worse” is about the best praise you can give, do with that what you will when it comes time to make a decision on where to eat. It’s unlikely I ever will return, so really a “one and done” kind of...

North Fort Myers is not traditionally known for great food. When we heard about this place, I was very cautious due to that fact. Tonight I had an order delivered through GrubHub. Can I just take a minute to say… Wow! Husband is traveling for work so I ordered lasagna and a Caprese salad for just me. I’m from the Midwest, and I’m somewhat of a foodie. I have yet to find really solid food in this vicinity since becoming a Snowbird. The lasagna was simply wonderful. It tasted completely homemade, the sauce was not too sweet, not too tangy. The Caprese salad was a bit different as it was served on lettuce, so I transferred the mozzarella and tomatoes to a plate. The mozzarella actually tasted REALLY fresh! The tomatoes were extremely good (can be hit or miss at this time of the year regardless of your location). The small pieces of bread that were sent along with my single order were the perfect accompaniment. I believe this is a newer restaurant, I am thrilled to say we will be regulars here! The food was outstanding, the price point is unbelievably inexpensive. Do yourself a favor and order from here or stop in. I’ve never been to the restaurant so I can’t tell you about the ambience, but I can tell you the food is completely solid!!! So happy to know that we have some thing other than bar food in the metro North Fort Myers area. This was not a gift of five stars, it was well...

We drove 30 miles to go here bc none of the Italian restaurants in Punta Gorda are open on Sundays. Really wanted to love this place and after a few bumps, wound up loving our overall experience here. First, Lena was excellent--responsive, apologetic, just a dear. Surprised to learn that there was no fresh pasta as the name, Fatto a Mano (made by hand), implies something is made from scratch (usually in Italian restaurants that would be some or all pastas). Ordered Meat Lasagne & Eggplant Rollatini. Both dishes were cooked to order & served hot out of the oven. Lovely, dark red savory sauce.

The bumps.... No paper towels in the ladies room, including second time after telling them. Not good for the hygiene of customers or employees. Most of the tables had a bouquet of dead roses on them. Very unappetizing to have to look at a vase of cloudy, dirty water. I don't know of any other "family-owned" Italian restaurant that would allow either of these things to pass scrutiny.

Then there was the crew of 5 senior girlfriends who were just a joy & inspiration. Obvious that they loved gathering here for the food, friendship & warm, welcoming atmosphere like it was their neighborhood place (and maybe it is).

So, Fatto A Mano... to you I say "Grazie per la...